Willie Horton: the game I'll never forget: former Tigers outfielder recalls fifth contest of the 1968 World Series when his throw to home plate caught Lou Brock trying to score and helped lift Detroit to a crucial victory

Baseball Digest, July, 2004 by Al Doyle

I'LL NEVER FORGET MY first big league game. The Tigers called me up from AA ball. When they told me I was going to the majors. I thought it was a joke, but they weren't kidding. The date was September 10, 1963

The team was in Washington to play the Senators, and I got there around the sixth inning. Charlie Dressen sent me up to pinch bit, and I got a single to tie the game. My second time at bat was in Baltimore, and I got my first home run off Robin Roberts, one of the all-time great pitchers. I don't know how you'd beat a start like that.

When you're young, you're just happy to be playing and being around guys like (Al) Kaline. Gates Brown. Billy Bruton and Rocky Colavito. They taught me how to play the game and do things like move runners along and using the whole field. After my third or fourth year. I knew what I wanted to do each tame at bat.

The Tigers started coming together in 1967, and 1968 was just a rollover of the things we had been doing the year before. I had 36 hornets and 85 RBI, but that team sure wasn't just me. A different guy did something every night. Gates Brown beat Lee Stange twice with pinch hits in a double-header against die Red Sox.

We never believed we were out of a game until the last strike. We thought we had hope, and that's what made the Tigers a great team in '68. I think we won about 40 games in the seventh inning or later. That's really amazing when you consider how many guys were injured at one time or another during the season, but having Denny McLain win 31 games didn't hurt.

Then we played the Cardinals in the World Series, and nobody was going to hit Bob Gibson in Game 1. He struck out 17, which is a record. Bob was totally untouchable that day. In addition to his fastball, Bob is a fine MI around athlete who understands the game as well as anyone.

We won 8-1 the following day, and I hit a homer off Nelson Briles. Then the Tigers lost the next two games--Gibson beat us again in Game 4--and we were down 3-1 entering Game 5, which is one I'll always remember.

The Cardinals were leading 3-2 in the fifth inning. Lou Brock was on second, and Julian Javier hit a single to left. I knew exactly what I had to do. I charged the ball and got rid of it quickly. My job was to hit Coyote--Don Wert, our third baseman--right in the nose. Bill Freehan was catching, and he had to decide to tell Wert to cut the throw off or let it go.

Bill culled for the ball, and we threw Brock out at the plate. That was a turning point, since we came hack to win 5-3. Kaline hit a two-run single in the seventh to win the game.

A few things happened on that play. I read the scouting reports, and Lou had picked up some bad habits since the All-Star break. He'd drift a little bit into bases, and Lou didn't slide at home. The third base coach was also a little relaxed on that play.

The Tigers also won the last two games of the Series to come hack and take the World genes. Mickey Lolich was the hero for the Tigers. He started and won three complete games Mickey fooled all of baseball People criticized him for his weight. but he pitched over 300 innings a year. We'd used to worry when he didn't have his stomach because Mickey pitched better with some weight on him Mickey is one of the greatest pitchers I ever played with.

We lost the fifth game of the players in '72 against the Oakland A's, told we should hove won. I didn't have a good year with injuries and slumps, and Billy Martin decided to put Duke Sims in left for the deciding game even though he was a catcher. I was totally up for that game, and I couldn't even game to sleep until 4 a.m. because of the excitement. Billy got the best out of that team, but I should have been in the lineup that day.

I grew up in Detroit so it was a dream come true to play for the Tigers. There was a lot of pressure playing at home, but I enjoyed those situate. When I was traded to Texas after the first game of the 1977 season I cried all night and got over it. I gave my heart and soul to the Tigers. Then I played for three teams in something like six weeks before I ended up with the Mariners.

Seattle kind of put the icing on my career. I had 29 homers and 106 RBI as is designated hitter in '79, and the people were great. They cheered every time I did something. The fans had a big day for me after I got my 300th career home run against Jack Morris.

I have no regrets. The Tigers gave me the opportunity to live a dream. I love the game and the people I work with. Baseball means so much to me. I look at my World Series ring every day and say "thank you."

Willie Horton

Background Information File

Born: October 18, 1942 Height: 5-11 Weight: 209

Big league career: Tigers 1963-1977, Rangers 1977, Indians 1978, A's 1978, Blue Jays 1978, Mariners 1979-1980.

First major league home run: September 14, 1963 off Robin Roberts

Top home run target: Dave McNally 10

Current position: Horton works in the Tigers front office as a special assistant to the president. His duties include traveling with the team, coaching along with instruction during spring remaining and some scouting.